Kirigakure: Hidden Village of Mist
by Aldrean Anderson
Summary: A story of Genin from Kirigakure taking the Chunin exam in Konoha with hidden agendas. Please read and review.
1. Part One: Almost late!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, blah, blah, blah. I do own, along with my friend Amber Komasaki, (check out her stuff too) Okame, Okage, Namiki, Yuki, and a few other non-important characters (yes, this is a fanfic with made up characters along with originals so if you don't like those, don't read it).

Author's corner: Hey and welcome to me and Amber Komasaki's first Naruto fanfic ever. I'm pretty psyched about this one, since it might actually get finished unlike all our other attempts. There's a few things I'd like to point out about the fanfic beforehand. Firstly, I rated it T because there'll most likely be violence and swearing in this one. Secondly, to make the story make more sense, the ruler (the big line in the middle of parts) means that the story switches views and the three asterisks () in the middle mean time has gone by. Well, that's all there is from me at the moment. Better things will come later in part two. Tschüss!

**Part one**

Okame took in a deep breath of the misty air, testing for rain; it had an acrid scent of fermenting foliage and spring blossoms to it that was very characteristic for this time of the year. _Just as I thought_, she concluded to herself, _it's going to rain soon. Pity I don't have more time to enjoy it… _

With a sigh she stood up from her crouched position and drew a small inconspicuous line in the soft dirt with her shoe; her team would be catching up to her soon, so for in order for them to find her she left little markers that could be easily spotted by a trained eye. She wondered if it would have been easier if she had simply followed her better judgment and stayed with them, but it was too late for regrets now and with reluctance, she acknowledged it and continued west to Konoha where the Chunin exam awaited her.

* * *

Okage's feet pounded against the ground as she ran ahead to catch up with Okame, a cloud of dust rising in her wake. The wind rushed through her curtain of midnight hair, emphasizing its waves and gently drying it—she had washed it about an hour ago, but it was so thick that there was really no point in trying to dry it any time soon. The wind made her eyes water, which in turn caused them to look bigger, brightening their emerald hue.

"Hurry up, Namiki-kun!" she called over her shoulder, finally gaining on Okame, "We'll be late!"

She came to an abrupt halt, almost running into Okame who had ceased her quick pace and taken, in turn, a slow walk. Okage tried to catch her breath, straightening out her hair and smoothing the, velvety fabric of her dress. She was clad in a knee-length dress that slit up both sides, reveling a pair of skin-tight shorts—the dress was patterned with elaborate koi fish sewn with silver thread that complemented the handsome green fabric the dress had been made of. The dress had some fancy, golden clasps that went all the way up to the neck from a diagonal across her chest. She had expertly taped her own wrists and ankles, for joint support and base, and wore traditional blue sandals of the shinobi.

"Hey," she greeted Okame with a slight smile, "I guess you can't wait for exams either, huh?"

"I see no point in getting there late," she answered dryly, her thoughts away from her teammate. With a slender finger, she pointed to the sky. "It's going to rain soon. We'd better hurry while it's still dry and light out." She wasted no time in taking off again, not particularly caring if she left her comrades in her wake—they had caught up before and they could do it again. _Besides,_ she thought, _Okage has always been able to catch up. It's that worthless Namiki that I'm worried about._

_"_Oh, alright," Okage said quietly, as she watched her teammate disappear into the trees once again. Just as abruptly as Okame had left, Namiki came burling through the underbrush. Okage giggled, "Namiki-kun, what happened? You're covered in mud!"

Namiki glanced down momentarily at his clothes, as if to confirm that she wasn't lying, then bent over to catch his breath, hands on his thighs, "If you must know, I fell over a tree root. It was camouflaged against the green because of the moss on it, and I just...didn't see it," he finished and straightened himself, brushing furiously at the brown muck that was smeared across his chest.

Namiki was a fairly tall boy with soft, brown eyes that were reminiscent of a puppy. His hair was of a lighter tone, cut short but with bangs that spilled over his forehead in loose spikes. He had a healthier completion than Okage, whose was what could be called ivory, and his build was tall and lean. There wasn't an ounce of fat on him, as with the two girls, which had almost made him look out-of-place amongst some of the other boys at the ninja academy (all of whom were more burly and big looking). He was clad in a long-sleeved fishnet shirt, over which he had casually thrown a Chinese-style button-down top, and a baggy pair of shorts that couldn't entirely cover the bandages running down his legs.

"You're so clumsy, Namiki-kun," Okage told the boy, patting him sympathetically on the back, "let's just go catch up with Okame...I don't want to be the last team there..."

Much to the relief of Okame and the rest of the group, they entered Konoha surprisingly early. Their sensei, who had arrived a day or two before, greeted them with warm smiles. When she took a closer look at Namiki however, with his clothes dirty as they were, she laughed heartily.

"What on earth happened to you?" she asked, only a trace of friendly curiosity coming through her voice.

"He had an accident on the way here Yuki-sensei," Okage interjected.

"Well I can certainly see that, but what happened _exactly_?" Now Yuki's brown eyes were leaking curiosity. Namiki sighed and dropped his head as if to be ashamed of what had happened.

"I tripped over a very well concealed tree root and found myself face first in mud," he explained matter-of-factly. Okame, who, like Yuki, hadn't heard this story until now, chuckled.

"Hopefully for Namiki-kun's sake, there won't be any "avoid the hidden tree root" tests to go through in this exam, for I fear he wouldn't exactly pass them with flying colors." Namiki glared at his teammate but didn't say anything. Changing the subject, Okame began complementing the grandeur of Konoha. "I never thought it'd look good," she mused aloud, "but this is actually quite quaint." Namiki shook his head.

"Well I'm no judge of beauty, but if that freaky mountain of heads doesn't stop staring at me, I may just go insane," he said.

"Those are the first four Hokage of this village," Yuki-sensei explained, "Shodai, Nidaime, Sarutobi, and Yondaime, but you three all knew that didn't you." Okage and Okame nodded their heads enthusiastically, but Namiki gave them all a badly hidden blank stare; it was obvious he didn't have a clue what Yuki-sensei was talking about.

"The Hokage is to the land of fire, what the Mizukage is to us," Okage explained quietly. His lips formed a silent "o" as he gazed back at the mountain, this time with a little more awe.

Okage shifted impatiently, tugging almost child-like at Namiki's sleeve, "Come on, you guys. I want to go to the Chunin exams!" she stuck out her lower lip and jumped from one foot to the other, "we're going to be late!"

Okame chose not to acknowledge the 'cute' display, while Namiki smiled and patted Okage on the head awkwardly, "Yeah, we should get going, Yuki-sensei." he said in agreement.

"I am glad that you understand history, Okage, Namiki, but you should really try to care about it more," Yuki said with a hearty laugh, "there will come a day when you will regret not appreciating the beauty of these sorts of things." she shook her head and also patted Okage, "now, you're right, of course. Let's get to the exams. Just try and keep all of this in mind, in case they quiz you on Konoha and its legacy."

Okage tilted her head questioningly, a skeptical look on her face; she would've laughed without restraint at Yuki-sensei's statement had she not respected her so much. When on earth would she ever need to know about the stupid Leaf Village's Hokage? She was probably grumpy and old, although from what Okage had heard she was quite revered. Shrugging it off, she followed as her sensei and teammates began to leave without her. How could merely knowing about the history not be enough? She didn't have to care about it to understand it.


	2. Part Two: A run in with Konoha's finest

Author's corner: Well, it's the long awaited (by some) addition to the fanfic. It was actually done pretty quickly considering the length and that it's written by two different people. To start off, I'd like to apologize for any out of "character-ness" this may have in it; I'd like to think I tried my hardest. I sincerely hope you all enjoy, and as always, please review.

**Part 2**

"What a _dump_," Namiki complained loudly as he and his group entered the rooms they would be staying in for the remainder of the exams.

"Namiki!" Yuri-sensei chided, wishing that what she had heard had been just an echo of her own personal thoughts rather than her own student's words. Namiki pouted as he picked at some chipping paint.

"Well it's true…" he whined.

"You of all people should know what a dump is," Okame offered, "We all know that your clan is the poorest in Kiragakure. You should feel right at home."

"Okame!" Yuki-sensei shouted, "That was _not_ necessary," Before she could go on, however, Okame disappeared out of the room in a swirl of long, silver hair. Yuki sighed, "What am I going to do about her? She's been acting oddly since we arrived." Okage and Namiki bobbed their heads in agreement. "Okage?" The girl's head shot up in attention. "I want you to do me a little favor."

"And what is that, Yuki-sensei?"

"I'd like you to follow Okame, assuming you can find her, and see what's going on. I'm starting to miss her boisterous side—this melancholy attitude of hers is draining on my morale and I'm assuming yours too." Okage nodded her head and walked out of the room.

_

* * *

_ Okame asked herself as she kicked a pebble down a road with bazaars pressed against one another on both sides. Her blue eyes searched keenly for any sign of something to occupy her time, but to no avail. Stupidly she hadn't brought any money with her, and everything here seemed to cost so _much_. Her thoughts trailed mainly through the past, as she continued to walk, focusing mostly on home. 

"_Don't bother coming back if you don't pass the test, Okame. The Elders will disown you from the clan if you fail,"_ her mother had told her before she left. It hadn't come as a surprise to her, however—her mother was known to be the most cold-hearted shinobi ever to live in the Takashi Clan, the most powerful in Kiragakure. To her relief, her father had been more kind with his goodbyes.

"_I know you'll do great at the exams," _herfather had said, while fondly ruffling her hair_. "After all, you are _my _daughter."_ The contrast between her father's words and her mother's almost brought tears to her eyes. _Why does she have to be so cruel?_ But Okame already knew the answer to that question. _She grew up…hard._

In the Takashi clan, where Okame came from, women were only allowed one role in life—to marry and have children. Even those women who were exceptionally good as ninjas were only allowed to be active in missions for a short time. However, no female was ever allowed the chance to pick who she wanted to marry. Instead, the decision was made for them when they were declared "ready" to marry. Okame's mother, Ayame, was one such a person, only she had loved someone else when she was in her late teens and consequently they were made to separate indefinitely—he died a year later, but of what Ayame had never told her. Despite the fact she was a great shinobi, one that should have been allowed to protect the clan for as long as she wanted, Ayame was arranged to marry the best jonin in the clan, Hachirou—the two both had strong bloodline limits. She had a son, Koichi, early off, but he showed no potential. Okame was their second and last child. Unlike her brother, she showed potential from the age of six.

From that point on, Ayame had taken on the duty of training her daughter—children in the clan were trained by others in the clan instead of with the other children of Kiragakure—solely to gain revenge for what had been done to her.

"_Soon it will be your duty to protect this clan and one day change the traditions it holds," _Ayame had said coldly, her eyes gazing off into the distance, focusing on nothing.Okame at the time had tensed her shoulders and set her jaw stubbornly.

"_No mother. I refuse to be used as your_ tool_ for revenge. I will live my_ own_ life the way _I _choose to."_

"_You are a fool Okame" _she had spat. _"One day you'll see how corrupt this clan has become, and when you do I hope the pain it brings kills you. Now get out of my sight."_

Okame ground her teeth at that thought. _I refuse to be used as a tool for revenge. If she wants to pay the clan back for ruining her life she can do it on her own time and not waste my life in her pursuits. _No matter now though, for she was far away from her home and to continue with her own personal mission would be the only thing on her mind for the remainder of her trip.

* * *

Okage's eyes wandered hazily across the crowded street, Okame within her peripheral field of vision but far enough away that she wouldn't notice her. She twirled a tendril of raven hair around her index finger, rubbing her lips together and fervently wishing she'd brought some kind of balm. Her lips really hurt! And there was just enough of a breeze to dry them out. Blinking, she realized she was letting herself get distracted. No, that couldn't happen; she had to watch Okame with her whole attention. Wait, had she just passed a noodle cart? Hell, when was the last time she's had some good ramen?

About twelve minutes later, Okage—a bowl of noodles in one hand and a pair of chopsticks in the other—finally managed to catch up to Okame again. The girl was fast, even when she was merely walking down the street. She was, however, thankfully easy to find in a crowd, given the length and somewhat unusual color of her hair.

"Doesn't she ever stop to look at anything?" Okage asked herself, sipping nonchalantly from the bowl so as not to spill hot broth all over herself in the event of an abrupt halt. She didn't bother to unwrap the chopsticks. They wouldn't be of any use until she could sit down and eat, and that wouldn't happen until stubborn Okame gave the walking a rest. Okage sighed, knowing that her noodles would most likely no longer be hot when she could eat them.

She turned her head suddenly, Okame gone from her sight. _Where the hell did she go?_ Her eyes narrowed as she shot her gaze through the crowd, _she was just here a minute ago!_ Turning to check behind her, Okage collided with someone rather taller than her, sending her noodles flying somewhere to the side and her onto her bottom in the middle of the crowded street, "Oof!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you there, please forgive me!" came a sincere-sounding apology. Okage looked up to find possibly the ugliest boy she had ever laid eyes on; his hair was black and formed a bowl around his head, while he had bushy eyebrows and protuberant eyes with large eyelashes sticking out in clumps—but the thing that summarized everything about him was the horrible, green bodysuit with a loose belt.

She was pulled to her feet almost immediately, "T-thank you...I think," she said, her breath uneven, "I should have watched where I was going."

"Not at all," he said brightly, "it is a man's duty to protect a woman and accept fault for any dispute with her. I honorably say that it was my fault. You needn't try to take any blame," he gave her a blindingly white grin and a thumbs-up.

"Oh..." her lips twitched in mingled annoyance and amusement, _Sennin's sword, he's insane!_

Not only was she stuck with a nutcase, oh, no; she'd lost Okame, as well. Rolling her eyes, Okage's thoughts drifted back to lip balm, trying to block out the disgusting boy before her. He, unfortunately, appeared to have taken a liking to her.

"My name is Rock Lee, Konoha's Green Beast!" he gave her yet another thumbs-up.

"Tsuchiura Okage...p-pleased to meet you..." her head hurt. She'd have to stop getting herself into such situations, in the future.

_

* * *

_Okame realized. Stopping herself, she dared a glance over her shoulder to make sure her teammate was no longer in sight. As she expected, Okage was nowhere to be found. _At least she knows how to hide herself well, even if she lacks attentiveness. The same can't be said for Namiki. _Wanting to see if Okage would continue her pursuit, Okame sauntered over to an overly bright booth selling a motley collection of jewelry and scarves, all of which were much too gaudy and overpriced for her tastes. _Damn. I apparently picked the wrong booth. _Not wanting to move, however, Okame continued to pretend to be interested, putting much of her attention on a surprisingly pretty blue gem—she couldn't recall the exact name of it—that hung on a silver chain. She realized it matched perfectly with the silver robe and light blue slacks she was wearing. Looking at the necklace, she found herself caught in a nostalgic déjà vu. _The last time I saw a necklace like this, _he _was here._

Just as she took her attention off the necklace, not liking the memories flooding her mind and, more importantly, remembering she didn't have any money, she noticed a shadow over the booth that hadn't been there before. _What the hell? _

"Don't bother buying it," came a foreign voice from behind her. "It's cheap and will probably break." Okame ground her teeth in frustration. Who the hell was this person that thought they could invade her privacy? She spun around with an aggravated expression on her face wanting to scold this person herself for bothering her. As she came to face the stranger, however—a male with the strangest white eyes she'd ever seen—she blushed bright red with embarrassment. Something in his expression made her feelings of anger and frustration melt away until she was left there standing dumbly. Why did he seem so familiar to her? She couldn't figure it out.

His expression was blank as he added, "I apologize for making you angry. You must be new here, for I have never seen you before, and I think I'd remember seeing that odd silver hair." Okame visibly flinched at the comment but the boy didn't seem to notice as he continued. "My name is Hyuga Neji."

_A Hyuga?_ She thought, and then everything clicked together. _That explains the unusual eyes. I wonder if he's a shinobi or just a regular citizen…though I thought the Hyuga clan was fairly reserved. _She shook the thought out of her head and tried concentrating on the present. "My name is Takashi Okame," she said, bowing slightly in what she assumed was a polite custom. _What am I supposed to do now? _

"Nejiiii!" came a loud cry from behind them, saving Okame from her momentary awkwardness. Neji jumped and groaned. A moment later, Okame understood why; strolling towards them, and dragging a rather reluctant Okage, was perhaps the most hideous boy she had ever seen. His parents should have been killed before being allowed to breed. She gulped almost on instinct, to stop herself throwing up.

"O-Okame!" Okage stuttered, giving her a look that was clearly a cry for help, "I had no idea that you were here. Wow, what an odd coincidence. Um, this is Lee-San, by the way...he appears to know your, uh, new friend...?"

Okame raised a questioning eyebrow at Okage. So she was admitting to following her? That was a first, albeit fine as she had known anyways, "Yes, I can see that this 'Lee-San' knows Hyuga-San," she had to resist the urge to just walk away, "Ah, Hyuga-San, this is Tsuchiura Okage, one of my teammates...and Okage, this is Hyuga Neji. By the way, is he," she indicated Lee, "a teammate of yours?"

"...Yes, he is," Neji responded, and Okame got the strong feeling that he had wanted to add 'unfortunately' to the end of that sentence. But by merely calling him a teammate, it was mutually understood around the circle (by everyone except Lee) that Neji had no choice in the matter of knowing Rock Lee.

"Er, nice to meet you, Hyuga-San," Okage blushed, fluffing at her hair nervously. His white eyes seemed to make her uncomfortable, as it was impossible to tell if he was looking at you.

Lee made what he obviously thought to be a suggestive face, "So, Nejiii...buying something for the lady?" he went to nudge him in the ribs, but Neji flinched and Lee pulled back, laughing.

"Wait a minute," Okage said, finally beginning to piece out the meeting between Okame and Hyuga-San, "How did you two meet?" She made a broad gesture with her hands at the two of them, and Okame looked from Okage to Neji-San and then back to Okage. Not feeling like explaining, she changed the subject to something that would easily distract her teammate for the moment.

"Is that a ramen cart over there?!" Okame shouted, walking quickly over to it and leaving everyone else in the dust. The sign that simply read '_ramen'_ looked harmless enough and so she ducked under the cloth canopy and sat down on one of the stools until she realized she didn't have any money.

Okage followed her in suspiciously, after giving Neji a long look, thinking all the while that he was rather attractive, aside from those dreadful, white eyes that could be looking anywhere. Hell, what if he had x-ray vision or something? She nonchalantly crossed her arms as she sat down next to Okame, a gesture protective of herself. Boys weren't allowed to see that until she was married—minus the plural.

"So, you just kind of picked-up the Hyuga guy, eh?" she tilted her head, feigning ignorance but knowing that she was testing Okame's resolve. The girl would possibly spill if she bothered her enough.

"I didn't pick him up..." Okame said, jutting out her chin, "he-" she stopped mid-sentence as the two boys came in after them.

Neji took the seat next to Okame and Lee did likewise to Okage; the girls didn't bother exchanging glances, each knowing what the other was thinking. Okage bit down a whimper—why had she gotten the ugly boy? It wasn't fair.

"So, are you here visiting? Family, possibly?" Lee asked, huge eyes fixed on Okage, "because I know just about every person in town. I could most definitely point you ladies in the right direction."

"Um...no family here..." Okage shook her head, "we've come for the Chunin exams, if you must know..." she shifted uncomfortably, wondering how much older they were than her; it couldn't be much, Lee certainly didn't look very old, and Neji obviously hadn't cut his hair since he was two, not that that had anything to do with his age. She mentally snipped at his hair with scissors, watching little tendrils fall.

"Oh, the Chunin exams?" Neji asked inquisitively, as if reaffirming it. Okame resisted the strong urge to reply, "Um, duh. She just said that," and instead said sweetly, "Yes." Lee piped up brightly.

"Do you remember hearing about when Gai-sensei and Kakashi-sensei defended the stadium after the attack of the sound and sand's ninja's?"

"Yeah," Neji reminisced, "I wish I could have seen some of that. You know—" But Okame wasn't listening anymore to what these people had to say—she had heard all she needed to. Within seconds she ran out of the ramen shop without giving any reason, leaving Okage to wonder, again, what was wrong with her teammate.

* * *

Okage frowned, seeing only a fleeting glimpse of Okame's back. What on earth was wrong with her? She had been fine until they discussed the Chunin exams, hadn't she? Perhaps something they had said upset her...was it possible she had a gripe with sound or sand? No, she had never even been to their villages, and they rarely entered Kiragakure...but what else had they said that she could take offense to? Only some boring drabble about their sensei's...there was no way she had ever met this Gai-Sensei or Kakashi-Sensei...

"Um, where did Takeshi-San go?" Lee asked quietly, looking hurt, "was she not interested in our conversation?"

Okage rolled her eyes, "I'm sure that wasn't it," she said dryly, "your conversation was riveting. Now, if you'll excuse me and grant forgiveness for not really caring about your Chunin story more than my teammate, I have to go. She's a damn handful."

Neji watched with an arrogant grin as Okage also ran off, following the exact route Okame had, "Well, they were pleasant."

Lee, not being able to identify sarcasm, responded, "Oh, yes! She reminded me of Sakura-Chan! Her eyes were so big, and-"

"Lee, don't go randomly asking girls out again," came a torrid remark, "I thought we told you after the last time that you were going to get yourself killed if you kept making the 'I'll protect you with my life' speech."

Turning to the girl who had spoken—a plain girl of medium height, with brown hair and eyes, dressed in a cute, pink top and bluish Capri's—and frowned, his large eyebrows overshadowing his even larger eyes, "Tenten, don't tease me!"

"Yes, he didn't make the 'be my girlfriend' speech today," Neji added, the smirk still playing upon his lips, "although he looked sort of like he wanted to..."

Lee pulled his neck in turtlelike and pouted, looking down the street that the two genin had run. Okage and Okame...

* * *

"Okame! Okame!" Okage called, eyes scanning the crowd, as before. This was entirely ridiculous. Okame should have been old enough to not do this kind of thing, "Hey, Okame-Chaaaan!" she paused, unable to allow herself to continue looking like such an idiot, "I should have stayed with that ugly kid and the Hyuga guy...at least I was going to get free noodles..." She went back to her previous train of thought: lip balm and ramen.

The search didn't take long however, to Okage's surprise, for Okame stepped out from behind a deserted cart and intercepted her. "Wha--?" Okage began, but her friend hushed her.

"I don't want you to keep following me, alright? This isn't any of your concern." Okame groaned and looked up at the sky. "I'm sorry Yuki-sensei tangled you up in my affairs. It wasn't fair to you." She bowed deeply and touched her fingertips to her head and then to her heart—the sign of the Takashi clan—and then she walked off again, hoping that Okage could understand what things she needed to take care of.

* * *

It was late by the time Okame got back to her room. To her dismay, though it hardly came as a surprise, she found her sensei standing at the doorway with her arms crossed—she was in her 'no nonsense' mood. Okame sighed; why did she have to go through with this? The sounds of Okage and Namiki sleeping encompassed the room and Yuki-sensei gestured that they should leave to somewhere where they could talk, though Okame knew she would have neither the chance to talk nor would it be a talk, but more like a scolding Yuki-sensei style. She knew better than to grumble, however, and quietly walked out of the room and out of the building to a bench right outside. The air was fresh and cool on her face, which gave her some comfort, as she had been feeling rather warm. The good feeling didn't last long, though, for her sensei was quick to talk.

"I think it's time you explained some of your behavior for the past few days," she said, her face an unreadable mask. Okame was torn; she couldn't tell the truth, for Yuki-sensei could never understand, yet if she lied, she was bound to be caught in it—Yuki-sensei was extremely good at knowing if people were lying to her.

"I guess I'm just worried about the exams," she lied. Shame snaked up her neck and face and she shivered. _Why can't she just leave me alone?_ Yuki-sensei sighed her disappointment.

"I'm sorry you can't do better than lie to me. I had more respect for you than that, but no matter. Just stop taking your bad mood out on your teammates, especially Namiki; you know how low his self-esteem can get if you bother him enough. And as for whatever is bothering you, forget about it. Whatever your problems are, you shouldn't let them interfere in your performance in the Chunin exam." Yuki-sensei put a hand supportively on Okame's shoulder. "I know you'll do a great job. You were meant for this."

"_I know you'll do great at the exams. After all you are _my _daughter."_

As her sensei walked off, leaving her alone, Okame's memory of her father's words made tears come to eyes. _I'll do my best if it kills me._


	3. Part Three: Training

Author's corner: Well, sorry for the long wait (though why I'm appologizing to my whopping two readers I have no idea...), but this one was a biatch to write and even worse, edit. Just as a warning, part four will take even longer, but that's just the way things go, you know? I hope you all enjoy this as much as I do.

Part 3

_The sky was already darkening overhead when Okage stood shakily, patting her legs to diminish the numb feeling in them. The soft, pale sand felt cool against her feet, negating the stinging effect of the saltwater when it got into the numerous cuts scattered across them. A light mist was rising from the surface of the rippling tides and she found that she couldn't look away--the waves were calling to her, playfully teasing her, speaking gently, as if to a lover. She took a careful step forwards, bare foot sinking amongst the damp grains. Another step brought her even closer, and she felt a dull ache in her heart; how she wanted to be in the water. A firm hand stopped her mid-trek._

_"Okage, I have told you not to listen to its murmurings, child," came a deep, throaty growl._

_She turned to face the man who had spoken--an exceptionally tall man with skin the color of the dancing waves, a club-like object strapped to his back, "Kisame-Niisan," she breathed, tilting her head to look up at him._

_He spared her one of his awkward smiles, "Yes. Were you expecting someone else?"_

_She returned the smile, ignoring his question as if she hadn't heard it, "You can speak to the water, can't you, Same-Niisan?" her gaze drifted out across the ocean._

_Well, yes," he responded, looking thoughtful, "but it doesn't speak to me the same way in which it speaks to you."_

_Okage's eyes widened, "What do you mean, Same-Niisan? You can make the water do amazing things!" she tugged at his sleeve for emphasis, "Remember when you made it look like me?"_

_Kisame was quiet for a moment, "Yes, I do. But the things I do with water are what many Shinobi can do. We command the water, force it to do our bidding...the water loves you, protects you, speaks to you, obeys you without even the slightest exertion of will..." he patted her head and came to stand next to her, "You are very gifted, Okage-Chan."_

_Okage bit her lip, still gripping his sleeve tightly, "You mean I could make the water look like someone, too?" her eyes were full of wonderment._

_Kisame nodded, calling forth a little globe of water and making it spin slowly in his palm, "Okage-Chan, you could do anything you wanted with water..." he closed his eyes and nervously ran his other hand over the gill-like slits on his face, "and when you come of age and wish to live up to your potential, seek me out. I will teach you."_

_"Seek you...?" Okage looked crestfallen, "Are you leaving, Niisan?"_

_"Soon," came the sullen reply, "But whatever you hear, do not be afraid. I will never hurt you."_

* * *

When Okage woke, little streams of sunlight had stolen through her window and were shining across her check. Rolling over sluggishly, she stretched herself somewhat cat-like. Okame's be was empty, as were Namiki's and Yuki-sensei's. The room was pleasantly warm and, despite its grime and must, gave off an almost home-like feel. 

"That dream again…" she mumbled sleepily, lying sprawled, unwilling to move quite yet, "S-same…" she couldn't bring herself to speak his whole name allowed and instead banned the thought altogether. It had certainly been a long time since she'd thought about it, and she wasn't in any mood to, today.

Light footsteps padded toward her and she let a smile form on her lips; there was no mistaking the tentative, borderline-quiet footsteps of Namiki. He never had been very stealthy.

"Good morning, Miki-kun," she said fondly, tilting her head to get a good look at him, "I was sort of wondering where everyone went."

"Waiting for you mostly," came the dry reply in the doorway. It was Okame. She was donned in her usual short, light blue kimono and it swished as she came into the room; however, unlike how she normally wore it she had added a pair of loose silk slacks—she had been practicing this morning. "It's good you decided to get up." She made a condescending glance in Namiki's direction. "Namiki was half going insane from your absence. You shouldn't put so much of a strain on his small brain—one day it might just overload and stop functioning altogether."

Okage winced at Okame's comment about Namiki. For some reason, she had been picking on him more, lately, which was very bad for all their concentration and, to top it all off, Namiki was rather sensitive. Okage wanted very badly to say something coinciding with Okame, but just couldn't bring herself to. She wasn't mean-spirited, unfortunately, and that dream had just put her in an off mood.

"Oh, don't pay her any mind, Namiki-Kun," she winked at him, "you know what they say about kids who tease: they do it because they like you."

Namiki blushed and shifted his gaze to the window, embarrassed. Okage stood, yawning, and fetched her pouch from a nearby chair, strapping the leather thing tightly about her thigh, barely hidden beneath her silken dress. Okame watched her impassively, although she was undoubtedly mad about the 'liking Namiki' joke.

"Shall we go?" Okage asked brightly as she could.

"You can," Okame said gruffly, "but I have things to do. Like train. And I don't need either of you for that."

"Then why did you come back with me?" Namiki asked, genuinely confused.

Okage muffled a laugh as Okame left, seething, "Well, she'll do what she wants, I guess," she said with a shrug, "Now, I think I want some breakfast, so shall I meet you somewhere later, Namiki-Kun? I assume you've already eaten."

Namiki nodded, "Yeah, I ate a little while ago...maybe we could meet for an early supper?" he cocked his head and blinked, looking almost cute.

Okage smiled, "All right. Only if it's for noodles, though."

"Of course," Namiki responded, as if the answer had been obvious. He turned and headed for the door, then doubled back and added, "You might want to change out of your pajamas, Okage-Chan," before sprinting out into the hall, raising a hand lazily in parting.

Okage didn't bother waving back, as he wasn't even facing her, and instead went to the window and vaulted out abruptly. She landed with all the grace of a cat and smoothed out her hair quickly, fluffing it just a little for looks. Without a backwards glance, she sauntered into the crowd.

* * *

_Yes! I'm gonna have noodles with Okage-chan tonight_, Namiki mentally chanted as he walked the empty halls. _If I get this kind of treatment every time Okame makes fun of me then I really hope she never stops._

"Namiki?" called a familiar voice, causing him to lose his current thoughts about what he was going to eat tonight. He turned around slowly to find Okame leaning against a corner looking particularly troubled. "Wait, don't go yet," she called as he began to go back the other way. Getting verbally attacked by her with other people around was one thing, but having it done by her with no one else there was a little unsettling, and he had no desire to experience either at the moment.

"I have things to do Okame." He winced as his harsh words echoed back in his ears. Even if she was mean to him, he hated sounding like that to her. Besides, if Yuki-sensei was right and the reason she was acting up was because something was bothering her, he didn't want to make things worse between them. When she was in a good mood, he really did like to be around Okame, but not now when she had the personality of a wet cat.

"I'm sorry!" she apologized suddenly, trying to catch up to him. "I'm so sorry for everything I've said." She looked down at her hands, obviously struggling to organize her thoughts. "It's just…well, I can't tell you what's going on, but I need you to understand I won't stay like this forever." Her eyes took on a determined look and Namiki thought he finally realized what was going.

"Oh…PMS."

"No! You idiot!" she shouted, rapping his head with her fist which sent him quickly to the floor.

"Oww. You didn't need to hit me so hard, Okame." He rubbed the sore spot on his head with a sour look on his face. _And I was secretly hoping she had finally gone back to her normal self…apparently I was wrong. _

"Oops. Sorry." She grinned while scratching her head, trying to look innocent. "I didn't think it hurt." Okame bent down and offered a hand. He took it gratefully, half expecting her to let go and have him hit the floor. She didn't however, and even helped straighten him out. "Oh! I have an idea," she chimed, "Why don't I help you train this afternoon. We all know you need the practice, and I'm the best person to be your training partner since Okage would probably only coddle you more. Don't worry. I'll give you such a beating you might actually learn something." Something in that sadistic grin of hers actually made him smile and he accepted the invitation wholeheartedly.

* * *

Okage was just sitting down to enjoy a hot bowl of ramen—sort of a treat for herself after the incident where she had dropped her other bowl the day before—when she saw an odd procession heading down the street, from beneath the cloth canopy of the ramen shop. There was a group of people, most clothed in long robes and all Shinobi of highest rank, possibly Jonin. She watched as they passed, almost forming a sort of circle. Perhaps they were bodyguards? She didn't recall Yuki-Sensei ever mentioning anybody important coming to the Chunin exams…

Deep in thought over the mysterious arrival, she slurped decadently at her ramen, making a bit of a mess. Two men at a table nearby drew her attention, as she caught a snippet of their conversation.

"—was the Kazekage," A man finished, looking amazed.

The second nodded fervently, "Yes, it's rare to get visitors from Sunagakure, let alone their leader. He must be here to watch the Chunin exams."

"Not necessarily," the first man said quickly, "I hear he's rather young. Maybe he's participating."

The two got up to leave, setting a few coins on the table in payment for their meal. Okage watched them from the corner of her eye, a million questions about this Sunagakure village playing across her mind. Yuki-Sensei had to have known that they would be present, but how cruel of her not to say anything!

About twenty minutes later, Okage had done as much thinking as she could bear and had finished her noodles. She got up, casually dropping a couple coins on her table, and ducked under the cloth blinds and out into the glaring sun. There was more of a crowd than before, most likely due to the arrival of the Kazekage. It would be more difficult to navigate than before, being surrounded by so many people.

"Okame would have no problem with this," Okage muttered to herself, "she would push. People would get the hint." She was slightly frustrated that she couldn't be as assertive, but wallowing in self-pity would do no good. She slipped between bodies, making her way to the center of town, where she might be able to get a new dress. This one was old, and she couldn't go to the exam in something old.

She spotted a nice looking stall with some silk dresses and made a beeline for it, but stopped, gaze catching on a large tree with a swing hanging from it, next to the ninja academy of Konoha. There was a boy standing beside it, his hand resting loosely on one of the ropes suspending the swing. He was clad in an auburn shirt and capris that looked rather downy, and any skin below the reach of them was covered in black fishnets. He wore a strange gourd-like object strapped to his back, which gave him a somewhat intimidating look, but Okage decided that he wasn't too much of a threat based on his small stature; he could only be about her own height and appeared thin, even in his ample clothing.

Deeming it safe to approach him, she did so and padded up softly beside him, fluffing at her hair again, "Hello."

He turned slowly, glancing at her momentarily, and then returned his gaze to the swing. His eyes were a striking hue of jade, and his spiky hair was reddish, gingery. He didn't look much older than she. A frown formed on her face when he said nothing.

"Um, hello," she said again, smiling as brightly as she could, "I'm Tsuchiura Okage. You looked kind of lonely, so I thought I would come over and see if you were alright…"

He again turned his head ever so slightly, barely looking at her, only to turn to the swing a second time. She sighed and rolled her eyes, already sick of his attitude—he was worse than Okame, at the moment, and that was saying something. She decided it wasn't worth it and was about to make for the dress shop that she had seen when he spoke.

"Gaara…" he said quietly, his voice so thin that she barely heard him.

"Huh?" she glimpsed back and he was finally looking at her full on, dark-rimmed, jade eyes focused.

"My name is Gaara. Sabaku no Gaara," he repeated, obviously not a very social person. He looked as if he hadn't slept in weeks, the poor guy, yet it somehow made him more attractive.

Okage grinned back, "Heh, nice name." He frowned and she got the impression that he thought she was making fun of him, "Oh, no, I mean I like it. It sounds very…regal."

A ghost of a smile started at the corners of his mouth, "Ah. Well, so does yours, I suppose," he twisted the rope between his fingers, "Why did you come over here?"

Okage struggled to explain it, but came up blank and merely stuttered a few excuses, "Um, like I said, you looked sad and…you were all by yourself…"

He saw that she was floundering and intercepted the conversation, "You're not from around here, are you?"

She shook her head, a light blush creeping into her cheeks, "No, I'm not…I'm here for the Chunin exams, from Kiragakure."

He raised an eyebrow, "Really…I'm here for them also. I didn't know that Kiragakure sent students to take the Chunin exam."

Okage rubbed the back of her neck, feeling a bit awkward, "Well, I think this is the first year that it's happening…"

"Ah," Gaara made a noise that Okage decided to interpret as agreement.

Okage sunk into her own thoughts, having run out of things to say to him, really, and found herself thinking about his hair; it looked so gingery, like gingerbread cookies, or the raw kind that went so well with sushi…she smiled dreamily, "Your hair is very pretty," she said absentmindedly.

Gaara blinked and a feathery pink color rose in his cheeks, "…pretty hair…?"

Okage woke from her daze and shook her head, embarrassed, "Oh, no! I mean, yes, it looks very nice, I…I didn't meant t-to…say that out loud…" she trailed off and stared stupidly at her feet, then became unable to stay any longer, having completely killed the conversation mercilessly, "I-I'm sorry, I have to go!" She ran off hurriedly, not bothering to look back.

_Gods, and to think…I have to see him at the exams now… _she thought, absolutely mortified at the idea. It was about time to meet Namiki for ramen. She needed ramen; it was the only thing that could possibly make the day bearable.

* * *

Namiki's training tunic was drenched it sweat. As promised, Okame had been hard on him, but the overall outcome was good and that in itself made it all worth it—she hadn't lied about anything after all.

"I think that's good enough for now," she said, waving a hand in a halting motion. "You did very well. I just wish you tried like that more often." She sighed, picked up a towel, and wiped her sweat covered face with it fastidiously. Right now, nothing sounded better to her than a good soak and some food. It had been hours since breakfast, and Namiki had fought her harder than she previously anticipated. _It's even past supper time, _she grumbled internally, looking at the sun to find it already on its way to the other side. "How about getting something to eat?" Namiki looked excited for a moment, but concern quickly replaced the expression and soon he looked half panicked.

"Oh no! Okage!" He continued to ramble while scrambling his things into his hands—something to do with ramen for supper and Okage being with him. Neglecting to say goodbye, Namiki ran off in the direction of the main road.

"I hope he remembers how he's dressed," Okame said to herself, also picking up her belongings, _She definitely won't be happy if he shows up like that with her in public._

"I didn't know ninjas from Kiragakure could fight like that." Shocked at the intruding noise, Okame twisted her body around to find the somewhat familiar voice and was pleasantly bemused to find the boy—Hyuga Neji she reminded herself—she had met the day before.

"Neji-san," she greeted tentatively, a little curious as to his sudden entrance, "What are you doing here exactly?" As she intended, her face didn't give away anything but indifferent interest.

"Well, I planned to do some training myself, but when I saw you and your…friend here, I thought I'd wait to see if you were almost done." His voice was completely matter-of-factly and she didn't like it—something in it gave away the air of semi-patronization. "He's a little sloppy, but you were impressive." The word impressive made her blush lightly, and she turned her face, pretending to busy herself with cleaning up though there was nothing _to _clean.

She smiled plainly at him. "Well, we're done now so train away. I'll just get out of your way." At this point, all Okame wanted to do was get _away _from the training grounds. It didn't help any that he kept looking at her with those weird—no, creepy—white eyes. _What's his problem anyway?_

He sighed, seeming to make up his mind on something, and looked her in the eyes sternly. "It's too late for that now. If you don't mind, however, I can take you back to wherever you're staying." Just then, Okame's stomach made its hunger a very audible demand that it wanted food _now_. She tried to cover it up as much as she could, but it was to no avail. This Hyuga Neji was much brighter than his teammate on multiple levels. However, all he did was smile and say, "It appears that you haven't had anything to eat in a while either. If you'd like, I can show you somewhere close where there's food." Okame sighed relief. At least he wasn't going to eat with her; that would make things truly awkward. The relief didn't last for more than a second. "Come to think of it, I haven't eaten in a while. Come." He signaled her to come—a little too demanding for her tastes—and she did as he beckoned. "I suppose I can eat with you too. I was going to take you back anywhere."

_Great, _she thought, entirely unenthusiastic about the whole thing. _I can't wait…the chances of Okage saving me this time are null at best._, "Wonderful," she said cheerfully, trying to change her attitude and failing miserably, but inside she just wanted to be alone for a while, "Let's go."

* * *

Namiki jogged though the town, not really remembering the way to the ramen shop and sort of hoping to happen upon it by sheer luck. He knew that, now, the chances of Okage ever asking him to go to dinner again were absolutely nothing. He was late, he smelled, and he was sure that the guy she had been complaining about meeting—the eyebrow guy, or something like that—was looking pretty good to her.

He slowed, his joints aching and his sore muscles burning. Okame's training had completely burned him out. He sighed and leaned heavily against the post of a nearby booth. It was just is luck; Okage finally wasn't ashamed to be seen with him but probably thought he had stood her up, and Okame had offered dinner but he'd refused and forgotten to thank her.

_No wonder they pick on me_, he thought, frustrated, _I'm a walking disaster._

He turned his head skywards and, when he brought it down, a sort of miracle happened. He spotted Okage sitting under a tree in a grassy area between the tightly knit shops. She looked horrible, almost as bad as him. Perhaps his luck wasn't so bad after all; perhaps it was changing. He made his way toward her and, as she didn't even look up when he called to her, sat down as quietly as he could, seeing she was in a mood.

"Um…hello, Okage-Chan…" was that his voice? It sounded small, with an embarrassing pre-pubescent squeak at the beginning of the hello. He finished the rest of the sentence in as deep a voice as he could manage and hoped she didn't notice, "sorry about being so late…"

Okage stared off into the distance and mumbled something that sounded like her telling him that she wasn't angry. He was heartened and continued.

"Is there…something wrong…?"

She turned to him, eye twitching, hair wind-bitten and matted, "Wrong. Wrong? Is anything wrong," she laughed, almost manically, shoulders shaking. Namiki edged away a little and she began a list of things that had apparently gone 'wrong' for her.

"First, I tell some gorgeous guy that his hair is pretty!" She exclaimed angrily, "Then, I run away and crash into that Eyebrow guy again! He hit on me, I ran some more, I knocked over a booth, I had to run so that they wouldn't make me pay for it, I tripped and scraped my knee up, my dress ripped a little when I tripped, My hair is messy, I completely missed dinner, I dropped my clan necklace somewhere," she paused for breath and Namiki, whose eyes were as big as saucers, noticed that people had begun to stare. He tried to gently hush her, but she went on hysterically, "Miki-Kun, that necklace was my father's!" she exclaimed, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes, "It was an heirloom!"

Namiki touched her shoulder comfortingly while she took a few deep, tremulous breaths, "I'm sorry your day was so bad, Okage-Chan, but I'll help you look for the necklace…and if we can't find it, I'm sure your father will forgive you," he smiled hopefully.

Okage gawked at him, her lower lip quivering, and then burst into tears, "My father is _dead_!" she slapped him. _Hard._

Namiki's cheek smarted and stung as he held a hand to it, "No, no, Okage-Chan, I'm sorry! I didn't know!" he tried to explain, but she had already vanished.

He looked around wildly, feeling absolutely horrible, but found no sign of her. He did, however, find what appeared to be the entire town glaring at him menacingly. Apparently, his luck had not changed.

* * *

Okame laughed with what she recognized to be pure contentment, a feeling she hadn't felt in forever. Neji-san had just finished telling her the funniest story of a time when his sensei and big eyebrowed teammate, Lee, had performed what they had called "an interpretive dance of a great ninja in battle" in front of both Neji and his other teammate Tenten.

"I have never seen two people act as stupidly in my entire life as they do on a daily basis…" Neji added, shaking his head as if he wanted the memories to just fall out. "Their behavior can be borderline nauseating at times."

"At least they're straight," she said. When nothing came from Neji in the way of a reply, her previously assertive statement shifted to uncertainty. "They are straight…aren't they?"

"Oh, there's no question of Lee being straight. You saw the way he acted around your friend. I'm surprised his eyes didn't pop out of their sockets." There was a pause. "But Gai-sensei…I'd rather like to think so. Actually, I try not to think about either of them as much as I can help it."

Okame continued to smile, an afterimage, at best, of her previous laugh, as she looked around the little restaurant they were eating at. To her surprise, and somewhat embarrassment, everyone had left except the two of them. Neji-san seemed to notice too.

"It's getting late," he said suddenly, most of the humor gone from his voice. "We should get back." Okame nodded her head enthusiastically and they left in what could only be called a hurried manner. Being back in the fresh air felt good to Okame, and she took in as much as she could before they began to hurry back.

"T-thank you for the food," she said, quite lamely in her opinion. He nodded.

"It was no trouble," he replied. They said nothing after that, and an inevitably awkward mood set in. Okame was torn between not saying anything, consequently keeping the awkwardness alive, or reinitiating the conversation at the risk of annoying him. Why were males so hard to predict?

To Okame's great relief, her room wasn't too far away and they came upon it quickly.

"I had a great time," they both said simultaneously, Okame blushing and Neji desperately trying to look cool. "Good night." Okame chuckled nervously, feeling more out of place now than she had earlier that day. Again, Neji-san simply nodded and left.

_At least he's brief,_ she thought thankfully, _He could be like his ugly teammate and not leave me alone. _She sighed and with that done, went back to her rooms feeling curiously empty.

Okage was waiting for her when she entered, sitting on the edge of her bed, looking a wreck, "Okame…" she whined, "I lost my father's necklace, Namiki-Kun stood me up for dinner, I acted like an idiot in front of someone and am probably wanted for vandalism…" she looked up pathetically and sniffled.

Okame watched her for a moment, as if considering what to say, then finally responded, "We'll find it tomorrow. I'll help."

Okage nodded, sniffling again, and Okame almost felt bad. She didn't really feel like mentioning the fact that Namiki had stood Okage up because he had been training with her, but she was slightly curious about the vandalism charges that had been mentioned. Under normal circumstances, she would have commented on them, but the guilt over Namiki got to her and she managed to refrain, settling for a mere question.

"Vandalism? What did you do?" she inquired, cocking her head.

Okage made a noise somewhere between a sob and a giggle, "I was running away because I told a boy I met that I thought his hair was pretty, and I ran into this booth on the main street. They yelled and stuff, but the guy didn't really try to chase me…he was kind of older…and fatter…"

Okame laughed, "Well, at least he only got a look at the back of you. Now, if they put you in a line-up, there'll be no problem."

"Oh, that's not funny," Okage frowned, "Yuki-Sensei is going to be so mad. This is the first year that Kiragakure has sent students, I guess, and I've already given us a bad name…"

There was a quiet knock on the door and both girls looked up, startled. Who would be knocking at this hour? Certainly not Namiki; he had his own key, as did Yuki-Sensei. They exchanged grimaces, obviously sharing the horrible thought of Rock Lee visiting for some odd reason, then sort of wondered how he would have found them. Rock Lee was not the brightest kimono at the festival.

"Um, are we going to answer?" Okame finally whispered, noticing that Okage did not appear to be moving for the door.

Okage shook her head, "It could be anyone. No way."

Okame gave her a dirty look, "No assassin is going to knock and be all 'let me in', Okage."

The knock sounded a second time and the two girls jumped as a muted, male voice said from the other side, "I would like to speak with Tsuchiura Okage-San. My name is Sabaku no Gaara." Okage immediately tried to straighten her mussed hair, but quickly gave up, discouraged. It wouldn't make much of a difference, anyway.

Okame shot her a sideways look and Okage padded over to the door, mortification written all over her face. She smiled sweetly and opened the door, "H-hello…?"

Gaara's intense, jade eyes met her emerald ones and the two stared at each other for a long moment. Then Gaara lifted a loose fist and held it out, uncurling his fingers slowly to reveal her necklace. Okage's eyes widened and she let out a soft "Oh" of shock and wonder and gratitude.

"You dropped this," Gaara said simply.

Okage took it, her hand lingering on his—that is, she sort of imagined it lingering. In all truth, she just took the necklace quickly, timidly, and put it about her neck immediately, "How did you find me?"

"You happen to be the only team of Mist Ninjas in Konoha, right now," he responded simply, "it wasn't hard."

Okame hovered in the background, confused, left out. Who was the guy with the gourd? Who honestly carried a gourd? Okage certainly knew how to pick them, that was for sure. She watched the two with some amusement, tapping her foot, wondering how long it took to get a necklace back.

"Thank you," Okage whispered, fingering the chain at her neck, "it's very important to me."

Gaara nodded, "I can see. Well, I need to go. Maybe I'll see you again sometime…?"

He left the sentence open for interpretation and Okage smiled shyly, "Yes, perhaps at the big tree…with the swing…it's a nice place," she fluttered her eyelashes at him and could practically hear Okame snorting with laughter behind her.

Gaara nodded once more and said abruptly, "Good night."

Okage watched him leave, her brow wrinkled, "Um, good night, I guess…"

Okame was doubled over when she turned around again, "Wow, I bet he's just dying to see you again! Did you see how fast he left?"

Okage glared at her, "He came all this way to give me my necklace back. Stop being so mean to me, Okame-Chan," but then Okage chuckled too, "he did leave pretty hastily, didn't he? Maybe he's bashful."

Okame wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, "Maybe he's taken."

Okage frowned, "Maybe he was late for something."

Then Okame laughed the loudest and exclaimed, "Maybe he's gay!"

The two looked at each other, Okame shaking with mirth and Okage's mouth hanging slightly open. What if he _was_ gay? That was something that Okage didn't feel like dealing with. She needed to seriously focus on the upcoming exams not the sexual orientation of the redhead with the gourd. She couldn't let her team down. Okame would never forgive her, if she failed. Although Namiki might…then, a thought struck her.

"Hey, um, where's Namiki?" she asked, realizing she hadn't seen him since practice and Okage had left him alone god knows how long ago.

As if on cue, the door knob rattled for a moment; the muffled clatter of keys falling and light cursing sounded behind the wall, and out popped a very happy Namiki looking oddly off balance.

"Hey guuuuys," he greeted, raising a hand and then letting it flop back down. His cheeks were red and his eyes oddly glazed over. "Whatcha up to?" Finally the two of them realized simultaneously what he _had _been doing all this time.

"Are you drunk?" they asked together. He swayed once, almost loosing his balance, but caught himself just in time on a perfectly placed chair, and gave them a toothy grin.

"Shuppers," he answered. "You know, that Rock Lee kid sure knows good places to get something good to drink. Just now he—" He stopped mid sentence and then came back with, "Are my lips floppy?" He played with his lips for a second as if they were some new anatomy to his body, flicking and moving them back and forth.

Okame looked at Okage with an expression of confusion, but all her friend could do was reciprocate the feeling.

"Anyway," Namiki continued, "I had a great time with Lee. He's _so _cool. I wish you guys could be more like him."

"Was he cool before or after you were drunk?" Okame asked sarcastically, but just so Okage could hear. Okage sniggered her appreciation of the humor. Rock Lee was many things, but cool was not one of them, and Okame knew Neji-san could personally vouch for that.

"How did you meet him, exactly?" Okage asked, finally getting to the heart of the question which Okame and herself were dying to know the answer to.

"Well, after you left me in that bitchy mood, I didn't have anything to do. So, I started wandering, cause I couldn't find my way back, and low and behold, I found Lee and his even cooler sensei Gai. They asked if I wanted to tag along, and I accepted." Furiously he began rummaging in his bag, only to pull out an ugly green body suit that looked similar to Lee's. "They even gave me these to practice in and wear all the time. I can practice with you even better now, Okame."

"Practice, huh?" Okage asked, looking at Okame curiously. Okame blushed, wishing he hadn't mentioned them practicing.

"I uh…" she began roughly while giggling nervously, "I sort of helped him train today…yeah."

"You helped him train?" Okage asked skeptically, "You've never _trained _with him before…oh!" She pointed a finger at a very distracted Namiki, "That's why you were a late mess when you found me today," she realized. The look he gave her implied that what she'd said to him hadn't registered.

"Anyway, I'm pretty tired. Good night." He walked over to his bed and fell down on it, immediately falling asleep. Never in their lives had Okame or Okage seen anyway go to sleep that quickly, but then again they'd never seen anyone their age that drunk before either.

"I guess we should probably get some rest too," Okage said, not being able to keep her eyes off Namiki—he looked so funny! "I have no clue when Yuki-sensei is going to get back. Her interrogations are probably going to take longer tonight, since the Chunin exams are tomorrow."

"Oh shit," Okame swore. She had completely forgotten, being so distracted with other…things. "Yeah, you're absolutely right. I'm so tired now after everything that's happened today." Okame got ready for bed quickly, as did Okage, and when they were done, Okame scurried into her bed as Okage began turning off the lights.

"You're tired from training, huh?" Okage asked sleepily, getting into bed herself. Okame gave a muffled a yes. There was no reason for her to tell Okage she'd ran into Neji-san again and ate with him, and if luck was on her side, she never would have to say anything about it.


End file.
